The present invention relates to centrifugal-casting machines, particularly those directed to the hobbyist market.
In centrifugal casting, the molten material to be cast is heated in a crucible that communicates with a mold. The crucible and mold are mounted in a rotatable assembly, the assembly rotates, and centrifugal force causes the material from the crucible to flow into the mold. This type of casting is employed for various purposes, but the type of centrifugal-casting machine described in the following specification is intended primarily for the hobby market to be used, for instance, to make jewelry.
Two important considerations in the design of centrifugal-casting machines for these purposes are simplicity and safety. It is of course important that the user of the device be protected when a crucible and mold filled with hot material are spun at a high velocity. It is additionally important that the device be simple to use so that the home hobbyist need not develop a high degree of skill in order to operate the machine. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to afford both safety and simplicity in operation. It is a further object of the present invention to provide these features in a machine so designed that its cost of manufacture is low enough to put it within the financial means of the hobbyist.